Blogging Meme

This one's all over the liberal blogs in the last few days...must be the spirit of Christmas and slow news:

Four jobs you've had in your life: switchboard operator, secretary, media relations representative, web content manager

Four movies you could watch over and over: Julia, A River Runs Through It, Animal House, Bull Durham

Four places you've lived: Reading, Ohio; Amherst, Mass; Cincinnati, Ohio; Shrewsbury, Mass.

Four TV shows you love to watch: The Office, West Wing, Cheers, The Gilmore Girls (don't ask)

Four places you've been on vacation: San Francisco, New York City, Key West, New Orleans

Four websites you visit daily: DailyKos, Crooks & Liars, Raw Story, Talking Points Memo

Four of your favorite foods: chocolate chip cookies, Quakes, grilled cheese, mashed potatoes

Four places you'd rather be: New Orleans, Big Sur, Mendocino, New York City

Imagine

Imagine having a president with a heart! We had one, folks. Here he is, singing with Jewish and Arab children.

Merry Christmas to all!

A Time to Blog...

Tonight when I found myself yelling "fuck you!" at the television set when one of the Republican hack senators was attempting to justify spying on Americans, I realized it was time to blog again.

The whole damn political situation is just depressing. Having the Chimp go on the TV every other day to claim how we're "winning" the war and that he's willing to repeatedly spy on Americans in spite of its illegality just wants to make me throw up on my shoes. And even worse is watching people trying to defend him. The lying fuckers in Washington are simply amazing and it's time to throw all of these wankers out.

Merry Christmas.

Sorry about that...

...but for some reason blogging has not been uppermost in my brain lately. I think partially it has to do with the fact that there are so many people saying pretty much the same things. And, I have to admit, I'm not the most original of them all. So, therefore, less blogging.

HOWEVER, stumbled upon two things at other blogs that I found to be laugh out loud good.

First, Will Farrell doing his spot-on imitation of the Chimp. You're gonna love it.

And now, this from DailyKos: Cheers & Jeers:

"After numerous rounds of "We don't even know if Osama is still alive," Osama himself decided to send George W. Bush a letter in his own handwriting to let the President know he was still in the game. Bush opened the letter and it appeared to contain a single line of coded message:

370HSSV-0773H

Bush was baffled, so he e-mailed it to Condi Rice. Condi and her aides had no clue either, so they sent it to the FBI.

No one could solve it at the FBI so it went to the CIA, then to the NSA. With no clue as to its meaning they eventually asked Britain's M-6 for help. Within a minute M6 cabled the White House with this reply:

"Tell the President he's holding the message upside down."

Har har!

Wilkerson At It Again

From an AP story on the Washington Post website:

WASHINGTON -- A top aide to former Secretary of State Colin Powell said Monday that wrongheaded ideas for the handling of foreign detainees arose from White House and Pentagon officials who argued that "the president of the United States is all-powerful" and the Geneva Conventions irrelevant.

In an Associated Press interview, former Powell chief of staff Lawrence Wilkerson also said President Bush was "too aloof, too distant from the details" of postwar planning. Underlings exploited Bush's detachment and made poor decisions, Wilkerson said.

Wilkerson blamed Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld and like-minded aides. He said Cheney must have sincerely believed that Iraq could be a spawning ground for new terror assaults, because "otherwise I have to declare him a moron, an idiot or a nefarious bastard."

Phew! Tell us how you really feel, Mr. Wilkerson.

A Thanksgiving Ritual

In honor of Thanksgiving....a little Alice's Restaurant...

"They got a building down New York City, it's called Whitehall Street, where you walk in, you get injected, inspected, detected, infected, neglected and selected. I went down to get my physical examination one day, and I walked in, I sat down, got good and drunk the night before, so I looked and felt my best when I went in that morning. `Cause I wanted to look like the all-American kid from New York City, man I wanted, I wanted to feel like the all-, I wanted to be the all American kid from New York, and I walked in, sat down, I was hung down, brung down, hung up, and all kinds o' mean nasty ugly things. And I waked in and sat down and they gave me a piece of paper, said, "Kid, see the phsychiatrist, room 604."

And I went up there, I said, "Shrink, I want to kill. I mean, I wanna, I wanna kill. Kill. I wanna, I wanna see, I wanna see blood and gore and guts and veins in my teeth. Eat dead burnt bodies. I mean kill, Kill, KILL, KILL." And I started jumpin up and down yelling, "KILL, KILL," and he started jumpin up and down with me and we was both jumping up and down yelling, "KILL, KILL." And the sargent came over, pinned a medal on me, sent me down the hall, said, "You're our boy."

Being Thankful

.
On Thanksgiving Eve, our thoughts turn to listing those things for which I am most thankful. Here goes:

1. Health and well-being: My husband and I are as healthy as middle-aged people can be (for the most part) and this evermore will be #1 on my list. Keep it coming. In 2005 I conquered my bad back, thanks to a wonderful pair of chiropractors and joining a gym (who'da thunk?)!

2. My family: I am related to some of the wackiest - and most wonderful - people on earth. In spite of what they all think, I do wish we were spending the holiday together. This holiday, and all others in the future.

3. Blogging: This humble space on the internets has been a great place to take note of 2005. It's interesting to be able to look back on the year, knowing I started this thang during the middle of a blizzard, wrote many posts to describe many a snowstorm, right on through a fairly good baseball season, right up to today as we prepare to finish up the year. I thank those of you who actually read it and those who comment get a big *smooch*!

4. Friends: There have been many years when the Thanksgiving holiday was a time to ditch the people I work with and get as far away from them as possible, but this year we are celebrating with colleagues who are now among my best buddies. My friend, Susan, is providing the hospitality and good food and we are very happy to spend time with her and her very special family tomorrow. I am very thankful that I have like-minded pals to spend holidays with!

5. My home: As I type this, I am watching a TV news story in which they are describing how people who were hit by Hurricane Katrina are spending Thanksgiving. Many of them are in FEMA trailors, without a clear idea about where there home will eventually end up. I am grateful to have a warm place to call my own, with all the fun things a person could ask for: piles of books, satellite radio, a digital camera, a cable modem that allows me to do this very thing....and much more.

6. An imploding GOP - the gift that keeps on giving: It actually feels redundant to spend each evening after work commenting on the news of the day. Every day, another scandal. Every day, another lie being told. Every day, one day closer to the 2006 elections and *god willing* the Democrats take over the Congress. (*fingers crossed*)

7. A job I like: I am one of the fortunate few who like their job. Although someday soon I hope not to have to work in a large corporation, the company I work for isn't all that bad. My day is for the most part under my own control - I can work at home when I want to, I can take time off if necessary to deal with personal issues (like doctor appointments, etc.). AND, as I mentioned before, I work with some great women, with similar views on politics and life. The team I work closely with are great fun, smart, and take their work (but not themselves) seriously. Truth be told, I don't think I could get paid as much working somewhere else, so I truly must be thankful.

8. Technology (for the most part): I love that I can sit here and write whatever comes into my head and have it be read by people around the world. I love that I can tap away on my laptop computer and be interrupted by an instant message from a friend or family - without picking up the phone. (Come to think of it, the phone is a piece of technology I could truly do without.)

9. America: I know, I know, it's as trite as possibly can be, but I'm still grateful to be living in this country in spite of our current leadership. I just finished listening to the audio book "Team of Rivals" by Doris Kearns Goodwin and in many ways it's amazing that we have even survived this far. If you have a chance to read this book, you should. It will show you how a self-confident president (Lincoln) can actually trust himself enough to put people with differing viewpoints in his administration, and demonstrate that it actually benefits the country.

9. Nothing for nine.

10. My husband: I'm very lucky to have a marriage that has lasted more than 25 years. My sweetie is also my biggest cheerleader - a man who wants me to be as successful and happy as I possibly can be. Lucky for me, he has no artifice - I trust him with all my heart, and yet, I believe there are things going on inside his head that I can't begin to understand. And I like that - a little mystery is a good thing, in my opinion. Gives me something to look forward to, and for that I'm truly grateful.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Hot Stove League Heating Up

A little over four months from now, baseball season starts (April 2, according to the tentative schedule posted on redsox.com). Can't start soon enough in my book - and especially with the newest Red Sox additions announced today. A couple of minor league prospects (good prospects at that) were traded to the Marlins for Josh Beckett - he of the MVP of the 2003 World Series Champions that BEAT the MFYs in 5 games. Well, a certified Yankee Killer. Love that!

Welcome to Red Sox Nation, Josh!

Cheers to Jack Murtha

Did you know Jack Murtha before today? I sure didn't. All day in the blogosphere note was made of Representative Murtha's call for the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq. Didn't surprise me. Didn't interest me all that much - people are jumping off the war bandwagon faster than a ...well, faster than the fastest thing you can think of.

Anyway, what finally caught my attention about Murtha's remarks was a TV clip I saw this evening in which the good Rep was asked about the flak he was taking from the Preznit and Vice Preznit on his position. And he responded, thusly (and he was quite choked up as he is a veteran himself, I take it):

"I like guys who got five deferments and (have) never been there and send people to war, and then don't like to hear suggestions about what needs to be done," Murtha said."

Well said, Congressman. The rest of us don't like it much either. Thank you.

Lies, Lies and More Lies

For the convenience of all Americans who are looking for a nice compilation of recent lies of the Chimp's administration, Knight Ridder provides this. Nice and convenient...thanks!

"Dishonest and Reprehensible..."

Takes one to know one.

White Phosphorous...the Lowdown

Well, it appears that the military is admitting they used white phosphorous in the battle over Fallujah last year. However, not on civilians.

"Army Lt. Col. Barry Venable, a Pentagon spokesman, said the U.S. military had not used the highly flammable weapons against civilians, contrary to an Italian state television report this month that stated the munitions were used against men, women and children in Falluja who were burned to the bone.

"We categorically deny that claim," Venable said.

"It's part of our conventional-weapons inventory and we use it like we use any other conventional weapon," added Bryan Whitman, another Pentagon spokesman."

Hmmmm....don't you love the smell of white phosphorous in the morning?

No, we'd never use it on civilians.

Never.

The Scribbler Does It Again

From the Illustrated Daily Scribbler:

Military Malpractice

Democratic Senators who are looking for a way to explain their vote to authorize Bush to use force in Iraq need only look here for a perfect explanation.

"...Congress gave the president the authorization to go to war. They did not give him the authorization to do so incompetently. There's a big difference. You give your doctor permission to conduct a tonsilectomy. You do not, however, give him permission to get drunk and cut off your leg by mistake.

Bush is guilty of military malpractice. No one gave him permission to do a sloppy job."

TPM Nails It

Here's Josh Marshall's take on the Chimp. Well said.

Crazy?

From the Washington Post:

"Aretha Franklin was teary-eyed, Carol Burnett was teasing, Alan Greenspan was reliably taciturn, and "The Greatest of All Time" stole the show when President Bush bestowed the Medal of Freedom on them and 10 others in a White House ceremony yesterday.

Bush, who appeared almost playful, fastened the heavy medal around Muhammad Ali's neck and whispered something in the heavyweight champion's ear. Then, as if to say "bring it on," the president put up his dukes in a mock challenge. Ali, 63, who has Parkinson's disease and moves slowly, looked the president in the eye -- and, finger to head, did the "crazy" twirl for a couple of seconds."

He Can't Even Lie Correctly Now

If I didn't dislike the Chimp so much, I might actually begin to feel sorry for the man. Now he can't even lie properly:

"President Bush and his national security adviser have answered critics of the Iraq war in recent days with a two-pronged argument: that Congress saw the same intelligence the administration did before the war, and that independent commissions have determined that the administration did not misrepresent the intelligence.

Neither assertion is wholly accurate."

Looks like his latest campaign is getting off to a great start, eh?

Newsweek has him at 37% approval now.

Supporting Veterans

For those of you sporting the "Support our Troops" magnets on the rear of your car, or flying a flag day and night, it's now time to figure out a way to truly honor the men and women who serve in our armed forces. As we celebrate Veteran's Day, perhaps we should consider doing something that actually has some value: providing decent health care, or making sure reservists don't lose their homes while they're deployed. And, of course, there's that other important opportunity to support the troops: provide enough armor on their military vehicles in Iraq.

But most of all, if we truly want to support the troops: BRING THEM HOME NOW.

So Govern Already, Would Ya?

OK, now the Chimp has decided he needs to "fight back" against those who have been beating up on him recently over how we got into the war. The WH is launching a "campaign-style" strategy to respond to critics.

Ya know what I think? I say GOVERN already and stop campaigning for everything. If the Administration would just buckle down and overcome their Attention Deficit Disorder they might actually get something done. Of course, this is what they should have done nearly 4 years ago when they launched the attack on Afghanistan. They should have stayed there, got bin Laden and got the hell out. Instead, we got all mucked up in Iraq, can't figure out what to do about health care or anything else on the domestic front (except tax cuts).

I'll be the first to admit the GOP is probably good at campaigning. It's governing that they haven't the first clue about.

Chickenhawk Dick

Interesting that Dick didn't have "other priorities" on this Veteran's Day, isn't it? The soldiers, sailors and marines that were at Arlington today should have turned their backs on someone who avoided service...and YET felt compelled to push this country into a war of choice. The hypocrisy is mind-boggling.

Too Damn Funny

From "2 Political Junkies"

White Phosphorous, What Next?

From The Independent in the UK, by way of DailyKos today:

"Powerful new evidence emerged yesterday that the United States dropped massive quantities of white phosphorus on the Iraqi city of Fallujah during the attack on the city in November 2004, killing insurgents and civilians with the appalling burns that are the signature of this weapon.

Ever since the assault, which went unreported by any Western journalists, rumours have swirled that the Americans used chemical weapons on the city."

[snip]

"In a documentary to be broadcast by RAI, the Italian state broadcaster, this morning, a former American soldier who fought at Fallujah says: "I heard the order to pay attention because they were going to use white phosphorus on Fallujah. In military jargon it's known as Willy Pete.

"Phosphorus burns bodies, in fact it melts the flesh all the way down to the bone ... I saw the burned bodies of women and children. Phosphorus explodes and forms a cloud. Anyone within a radius of 150 metres is done for."

First, we have stolen elections. Then we have war on false pretenses, followed by torturing prisoners. Now this. The only thing that saves us is that the Chimp's house of cards may be falling soon (see poll results below). Good lord.

Another Day, Another Bad Poll (hee hee)

Latest NBC News/WSJ poll: more bad news for the Chimp. I said to someone today that the recent events in Washington make me feel like I'm living in an alternate universe of some kind. But, I quickly amended that thought. In reality, we've been living in an alternate universe for the past 5 years and perhaps we're beginning our re-entry into the normal world again.

This Has to Be A Joke

Bush expects staff to attend ethics "refresher."

Jim VandeHei must have enjoyed writing this:

"President Bush has ordered White House staff to attend mandatory briefings beginning next week on ethical behavior and the handling of classified material after the indictment last week of a senior administration official in the CIA leak probe."

John Dean: Fitzgerald Wants Cheney

The irrepressible John Dean, who knows a thing or two about legal problems from his own experience, thinks Patrick Fitzgerald is after the Veep. Check this out. Here's the money quote:

"Having read the indictment against Libby, I am inclined to believe more will be issued. In fact, I will be stunned if no one else is indicted.

Indeed, when one studies the indictment, and carefully reads the transcript of the press conference, it appears Libby's saga may be only Act Two in a three-act play. And in my view, the person who should be tossing and turning at night, in anticipation of the last act, is the Vice President of the United States, Richard B. Cheney."

Sweet.

So Many Problems, So Little Time

The last couple of weeks have brought a cornucopia of problems to the Chimp - so many, in fact, that it's hard to keep up and comment on them all. But there are a number of better sources for commentary than this humble blog. And I trust you're all pulling up a chair, rubbing your hands together, having a good read, and chuckling every bit as much as I am.

IMHO, the best places to keep up are: Raw Story(for daily news), Talking Points Memo (particularly focused on the forged Italian documents related to Niger) and Crooks and Liars (for the latest video outrages or compliments). I check them religiously, and I suspect all of you do as well.

This piece caught my eye today, and I must say it's not surprising. The International Herald Tribune has a story that blames Cheney for the mistreatment of prisoners In Iraq and Afghanistan. (Apparently Lawrence Wilkerson's good and pissed off, eh?)

Here's an excerpt:

"Vice President Dick Cheney's office was responsible for directives that led to U.S. soldiers' abusing prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan, a former top State Department official said Thursday.

Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, former chief of staff to Colin Powell, then the secretary of state, told National Public Radio he had traced a trail of memos and directives authorizing questionable detention practices up through Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's office directly to Cheney's staff.

"The secretary of defense under cover of the vice president's office," Wilkerson said, "regardless of the president having put out this memo" - "they began to authorize procedures within the armed forces that led to what we've seen."

He said the directives contradicted a 2002 order by President George W. Bush for the U.S. military to abide by the Geneva conventions against torture."

Apparently, Dick's also been recently going around to various members of the Senate urging them to stick with the Administration versus John McCain's bill outlawing torture of prisons. OK, what kind of nutjob is pro-torture? I guess the Dick is - and he's trying to bring others along with him. But, I guess he hasn't read the polls lately and found out that the Administration is going down the drain.

Wild About Harry

Well, well, well. We DO have an opposition party after all, now don't we? Today, our dear Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid beat the Republicans at their own game by requesting that the Senate have a closed session. The topic? When would the Senate be reporting on Phase 2 of the Senate Intelligence Report on whether the Administration manipulated intelligence in the run-up to the War in Iraq. A major win for us today! It's nice to know that there are some balls out there.

Probably just as fun was watching Senator Frist have a hissy fit about supposedly being "slapped in the face by this stunt." Gimme a break. And the Terry Schiavo incident wasn't a "stunt?" Get over yourselves, boys. There really are going to be some checks and balances after all.

Give 'em hell, Harry! Keep it coming! We've got your back.

(Wanna tell Senator Reid how you feel? Go here.)

Say It Ain't So, Theo

More gloomy news from Fenway Park. Tonight, Theo Epstein resigned as General Manager after not being able to come to terms with management over a new contract. Won't be long till everyone from 2004 has hit the road, eh? Sad.

Theo, if you don't have anything else to do, I'd like to introduce you to my niece, Molly. Just leave me a comment and I'll make it happen.

Bill's New Family

Today the Chimp nominated a new right-wing nutjob to the Supreme Court vacancy left by soon-to-be-sainted Sandra Day O'Connor (I'm kidding, I'm kidding about Justice Sandy, but she's getting some damn good press these days, wouldn't you say?). HOWEVER, one of the funniest pictures taken at the White House was this picture - of Sam Alito's family under the watchful gaze of Bill Clinton. And, don't look now, but I think Bill's hand is resting on the teen-aged daughter's shoulder. Har har!



OK, I have one comment about "Scalito" and that is this. If the man is beyond reproach, a wonderful nominee with the best possible background that makes him a PERFECT Justice of the Supreme Court, why didn't the Chimp nominate him a few weeks ago when he had the chance? I'm just sayin'....

Clinton vs. the Chimp

In recent days, we'll all heard various members of the Administration (including the Chimp himself...especially the Chimp himself) say, "We have to get back to the people's business." All the commentators say Bush is taking a page out of the Clinton playbook during the impeachment. At first blush (if you'll pardon the pun), this seems like a common sense strategy. But John Podesta, Bill's chief of staff, has this response, from the Washington Post.

"John D. Podesta, who was chief of staff to Clinton, said Bush may be more constrained by his troubles than Clinton was by his. Noting that Clinton's approval ratings remained above 60 percent throughout the impeachment battle, while Bush's are in the low 40s, Podesta said, "When Clinton said, 'I'm going back to do my work,' people cheered," Podesta said. "When Bush says, 'I'm going to do the job I've been doing,' people say, 'Oh, no.' "

Ha! What a great response, and I'm glad Mr. Podesta is saying it. I also heard him say it on CNN last night and it made me literally stand up and applaud. Say what you will about Clinton, it's been proven time and time again that he (to quote a famous phrase) "did a helluva job!"

Looking back, remember when we had peace, jobs, low interest rates, decent oil prices, and a president who could actually speak without a script? Hard to believe how much could be ruined in 5 short years.

Indictment Day

Five felony counts for Scooter Libby today, which you've all heard by now (perjury, lying and obstruction of justice). While I was hoping for more people to be indicted today, I guess it's enough for now.

Just about a year ago, following the election results, we would never have expected as much fall-out in the Chimp's administration as we've seen recently. But now that so many shoes have fallen (Katrina mess, Harriet Miers fiasco, ridiculous gas prices, the ungodly contination of the WAR) that I'm beginniing to think Imelda Marcos lives in Washington.

But even so, it's time to remind everyone that W came to the presidency saying he was going to restore "dignity" to the capital city. While all of us were disappointed in Clinton's personal sexual picadillos, the rest of his conduct and his administration's was nowhere near what we see today.

Here's Paul Begala's take on the comparison between the two via Huffington Post:

"The plain fact is that after a seven year non-stop investigato-rama, no senior Clinton White House official was ever even charged with wrongdoing. Much less indicted. Much less convicted. In fact, the highest-ranking Clinton official to be convicted of wrongdoing in connection with his public duties was the chief of staff to the Agriculture Secretary. Betcha five bucks you can't even name the Clinton Agriculture Secretary in question, much less his chief of staff. Unlike Nixon (whose Watergate crimes were manifest), unlike Reagan (whose White House was corrupted by the Iran-Contra crimes), unlike Bush 41 (who pardoned White House aides and Cabinet officers before they could testify against him), Bill Clinton presided over the most ethical White House staff in decades."

Read more, it's a good one.

But what about Rove? Fitz says the investigation isn't over. We'll keep our fingers crossed that he, too, will join Libby in the defendant's chair someday soon. Stay tuned.

Rest in Peace, Rosa Parks

At the risk of sounding like a true geezer, I hope today's young women understand what a huge risk it was for Rosa Parks when she refused to give up her bus seat to a white man back in 1955.

This important woman passed away yesterday. Rest in peace, Rosa.

2,000

Today, the 2,000th American service person died in Iraq in a war of choice. Now how does that make you feel? Makes the post below even more important and the events that will take place over the next few days will truly be historic.

Bring the rest of the troops home now, put the crooks in jail, and perhaps the families of the troops will forgive us all one day.

Worst.Administration.Ever.

Twas the Night Before Fitzmas...

Have you got your Fitzmas shopping done? What will you make for Fitzmas dinner? How will you celebrate?

Here's one way: Fitzmas Bingo, and "backupbrain.com" offers you your own card! You can place your marker on any of the names shown on the card and see how well you do.

And although I've linked to this already, Georgia10's diary at dailykos, is worth a new link today: 10 Tips for Dealing with Fitzmas!

Anx, here's the latest news from The Washington Note:

1. 1-5 indictments are being issued. The source feels that it will be towards the higher end.

2. The targets of indictment have already received their letters.

3. The indictments will be sealed indictments and "filed" tomorrow.

4. A press conference is being scheduled for Thursday.

Scowcroft Takes Bush 43 Apart (with the help of 41)

Here's a link to some of the money excerpts from the New Yorker article about Brent Scowcroft (former National Security Advisor to GHWB). We need a few more of these people to talk.

Revenge is Ugly

Unhappy with how well the Bug Man looked in his mugshot? Try these out for a laugh. You'll thank me for it later.

Will the Grinch Steal Fitzmas? Read Billmon.

A favorite blogger (Billmon) presents another option open to the special prosecutor, delivered by none other than John Dean of Watergate fame. Dean knows a lot about these things and thinks that there may be no indictments next week. However, I agree with Billmon that Dean might not be right.

Here's Billmon's take:

"But I think Dean is wrong this time, even though he's right to warn against the overheated rumors now chasing each other through both Left and Right Blogostan. I think Fitzgerald is poised to indict, and while the list of defendants may be short -- Rove, Libby plus a few lower-level munchkins -- I think the charges will be both broad and numerous, including unauthorized disclosure of classified information, theft of government property, conspiracy, obstruction and some combination of perjury and/or false statement charges. I wouldn't even be surprised if the Intelligence Identities Protection Act rears its serpentine head after all -- depending on the means, motives and opportunities of Bob Novak's second source."

Cannot wait.

How Much is Left Curve Worth?

My blog is worth $31,049.70.
How much is your blog worth?

Anybody buying?

The Worm Is Turning

Look for the next issue of "The New Yorker" to outline Brent Scowcroft's unhappiness with the current admnistration and its foreign policy. It is often said that the Bush family places a high value on loyalty, so this can't be good news for the Chimp. Could happen to a nicer mammal.

Oh, I'm looking forward to next week! Fitzmas is coming early this year (I hope)! I think my favorite Fitzmas carol is "Joy to the World!" Happy days are here again!

Raw Story Leading the Way

Plame-gate central for anyone is a junkie like me: Raw Story. They today reported that there is a second Cheney aide who is working with special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald. This is like watching "All the President's Men" in real time. Love it, love it, love it.

Stay tuned to Raw Story - it's the real deal, folks.

What Did He Know and When Did He Know It?

Did the Chimp know Rove's role two years ago? And did both (or one) of them lie about it?

The New York Daily News has the story here.

So when is Fitzmas? Not till next week, unfortunately. I'm all a'twitter! How 'bout you? Happy days are here again (I hope)!

The Day Beignets Saved My Life

It was a rainy and cold January Sunday afternoon in New Orleans. We were walking through the French Quarter dodging the raindrops, listening to the sounds from a street performer's saxophone. I looked up and saw a cafe offering cafe au lait and one of the most wonderful food items ever invented: the beignet. If you haven't been to New Orleans, you may not have had the opportunity to taste this decadent little desert: a deep friend piece of dough, covered with powdered sugar. We were lucky enough to find a little table in the window of the cafe, where they served us fresh-from-the-oven, still warm beignets. While the rain continued to fall, I went from a sad, cold, hungry tourist to the happiest person on earth, and we happily faced the rest of the day.

And that's how beignets saved my life.

Luckily, the most popular outpost of the beignet in the French Quarter reopened today - the Cafe du Monde, which is open every day of the year (except Christmas), 24/7. I look forward to visiting the French Quarter soon - and hopefully I'll get the beignet before I'm a starving and wiped out mess.

Latest Jib-Jab

Enjoy Jib Jab's take on the recent presidential election? If so, you'll love their new video on "Big Box Mart" and how damaging this type of store is to our economy. Not so funny as their previous stuff, as it's way too true. But, join everyone on the web and see it here.

O'Reilly On The Daily Show

Hate Bill O'Reilly? You must see his recent appearance on 'The Daily Show'. Jon was surprisingly soft with him, but the audience booed like hell. My kind of audience.

Here's a link to the video, via "Crooks and Liars"

More Fun with Dick and Scooter

From the Illustrated Daily Scribbler.

Harriet Has A Blog

Of course, the latest Supreme Court nominee has a blog, and you're going to love it!

Red Sox Post Mortem

I know you've all been waiting with bated breath for my reaction to the Red Sox loss in the ALDS - in a sweep, no less. Well, it was a bummer. But, when you actually think about it, we in New England have literally experienced a non-stop, two year baseball season in which the Sox players, management, field and everything else that could be attached, were so over-exposed, over-hyped that I think people were actually a bit fed up. (Interestingly, the Patriots won 2 Super Bowls during the same time period and don't actually get the same kind of air time.)

Nevertheless, I was disappointed in the way they ran out of steam, but I was highly delighted when the MFY's managed to screw up their series as well. We've been enjoying watching the games since then - without the emotional toll, and lack of sleep. I personally am rooting for the Astros - probably because they've never been in the World Series. But, it's also because I'd rather that the world champ be from the National League so we don't have to face them regularly next year and get as sick of them as everyone else was of the Red Sox this year. If you follow that logic, I applaud you.

Here's my hope for the off-season: get some PITCHING. And, keep Johnny Damon on the team. Please. And, just because I can, here's a relic of last year for you:

Merry Fitzmas!!!

One of the funniest things I've ever read on Daily Kos was added this evening. It's perhaps a bit early to say that there will be indictments this week of the Chimp and/or his cronies. But, it may be time to stop and think about what it must be like in the White House this eveing. And this writer at Daily Kos has dubbed the coming events "Fitzmas" and provides a list of ways to celebrate. A great read.

The Leak Probe Continues

(that kinda sounds dirty, doesn't it?)

Anyway, while I've been on a bit of a vacation with a visiting niece, politics continues as usual. The Wall Street Journal reports that the CIA leak case may actually be broadening:

"There are signs that prosecutors now are looking into contacts between administration officials and journalists that took place much earlier than previously thought. Earlier conversations are potentially significant, because that suggests the special prosecutor leading the investigation is exploring whether there was an effort within the administration at an early stage to develop and disseminate confidential information to the press that could undercut former Ambassador Joseph Wilson and his wife, Central Intelligence Agency official Valerie Plame."

More to come!

The Hammer Gets Hit...Again

DeLay indicted for money laundering...how sad!

Administration of Screw-ups

Here's a great, funny post about the Chimp and his pals. Love. TBogg!

Where Do You Fit on the Political Spectrum?

Here's a fun test to see where your opinions fit on the range of political options, from anarchist, to conservative, to regular ole' Democrat or Republican. For the record, I came up as a "Socialist." Surprise Surprise!

Justice?

I hate to be so very shallow, but this woman needs a makeover.

Sox Clinch Wild Card

The President is a Crook

According to Think Progress today, the Chimp is actually involved in the conspiracy to defame Ambassador Joe Wilson:

"Near the end of a round table discussion on ABC’s This Week, George Stephanopoulos dropped this bomb:

Definitely a political problem but I wonder, George Will, do you think it’s a manageable one for the White House especially if we don’t know whether Fitzgerald is going to write a report or have indictments but if he is able to show as a source close to this told me this week, that President Bush and Vice President Cheney were actually involved in some of these discussions.

This would explain why Bush spent more than an hour answering questions from special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald. It would also fundamentally change the dynamics of the scandal. President Bush could no longer claim he was merely a bystander who wants to “get to the bottom of it.” As Stephanopoulos notes, if Bush played a direct role it could make this scandal completely unmanageable."



Impeach Bush.

Autumn Wishes

Last year at this time, I was faced with an interesting dilemma.

The election was looming with the Worst.President.Ever. running for re-election. Simultaneously, I was hanging on to every pitch as the Red Sox baseball season was winding down and the postseason was gearing up. Since I am a realist, and not greedy, I tried to decide between two wishes. So, I asked myself, which wish will it be? A World Series win or a John Kerry win?

Believe it or not, I opted for the World Series win - I truly did. In my humble opinion, I figured the chances were better that a Democrat would win the Presidency sometime in my lifetime than for the Sox to win a championship. Therefore, I put all my effort into wishing for the first championship (altogether now!) in 86 years.

And, oh what a happy year it has been since that fateful October day! In actuality, I'm not certain that Red Sox Nation has ever come down from Cloud Nine in the eleven months since the Big Win. Hardly a day went by this year that we didn't see the replay of the final out - the ball hit back to Keith Foulke, who tossed it ever-so-gently to Doug Mientkiewicz at first base, who promptly jumped in the air with both arms raised. Next, a pile of wild celebrants on the pitcher's mound - you've all seen it, too, I'm sure.

In the aftermath of the Big Win, the Sox ownership has taken the unprecedented step of touring the World Series trophy like a hot rock star. During this year, it has made guest appearances in every one of the 147 cities and towns of Massachusetts, every New England state, New York, California, Florida and many states (and foreign countries) in between. Often we hear the comment that every citizen of Red Sox Nation must have had their picture taken with it. For the record, I haven't . However, I DID get to try on one of the $15,000 championship rings that were raffled off for charity over the summer. And I have the picture to prove it, so there!

Tonight, as I type this, the Sox and MFY's are tied for first place. The outcome of this season remains in the balance, which is torturing me to no end. In fact, I get so ungodly nervous that I can't even watch the games. Regardless of how this season wraps up this weekend, I thank the Sox for all the happiness they've brought us and think they've done remarkably well this season in spite of the rampant injuries to the pitching staff. (Luckily, we have a number of young pitchers who will presumably make next year interesting, but that's a story for another day! Oh, and memo to Sox management: Can you please resign Johnny Damon?)

On the political front, however, I am witnessing the reverse of last autumn. While the Sox are deadlocked for the championship, I just may be seeing the beginning of another historic CHOKE, a la the NY Yankees last year. The Chimp's approval ratings are in the toilet, mere months after he declared his re-election "mandate." Tom DeLay was indicted today on charges of criminal conspiracy and money laundering. Bill Frist will perhaps be investigated soon by the SEC for insider trading. The Chimp and his cronies are under daily fire for ongoing corruption, cronyism and downright incompetence.

So. Once again, I am faced with a dilemma. Do I get another successful baseball postseason for the Sox? Or, on the other hand, do I finally get to see the real loosening of the Right Wing's hold on this country? While I'm still not ready to throw in the towel on our Carmine Hose, the political season is shaping up quite nicely - things are looking ever more hopeful to those of us who have been despairing the lack of decency, the lying, the corruption in the GOP.

So which will I chose? Hmmmm, can I get back to you?

Love That Dirty Water....

Tim Wakefield is THE MAN. Now we just need Schilling to kick it like it's 2004! Go SOX! Here's a good luck picture to carry us through.

Brownie's Still Doin' a Heckuva Job!

Via Raw Story, Mike Brown has been hired as a consultant by FEMA to evaluate the agency's response to the disaster!

This is a WTF moment if there ever was one. CBS News broke the story tonight.

Mitt's the Pits

The governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney, is a complete fool. He's using his status as a member of the minority party in our state as a joke as he travels the rubber chicken circuit. No, he's not taking up yet another career as a comedian, he's actually thinking of running for president...yes, of the United States. If he thinks anyone in this country is interested in ANOTHER Massachusetts candidate in 2008, he's really got to be smoking something.

Here's a sample of his "humor":

"Being a conservative Republican in Massachusetts," he told a GOP audience in South Carolina, "is a bit like being a cattle rancher at a vegetarian convention."

Bada-bing. For months, this blue-state governor has been pitching himself to conservatives in a way that campaign experts say is highly unusual -- perhaps even historic. Instead of talking about his home state with the usual lip-quivering pride, Romney uses it like a vaudeville comic would use his mother-in-law: as a laugh line.

As in: "There are more Republicans in this room tonight than I have in my state!" -- another joke he used in South Carolina.

Iraqi's: Yes; Gulf Coast: No

This infuriatesKos and infuriates me too. Somehow we have the money to kill innocent people in Iraq, but no dough for the rebuilding of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Sheesh!

Here's a bit:

"Congressional Republicans are not arguing with Bush's pledge that the federal government will lead the Louisiana and Mississippi recovery. But they are insisting that the massive cost -- as much as $200 billion -- be paid for. Conservatives are calling for spending cuts to existing programs, a few GOP moderates are entertaining the possibility of a tax increase, and many in the middle want to freeze Bush tax cuts that have yet to take effect."

Why didn't they insist that the war(s) be paid for, too? Why is that any more noble than taking care of your own country's men, women and children?

Thanks, But No Thanks

The poet Sharon Olds was offered an invitation to the National Book Festival in Washington DC and dinner at the White House with Laura Bush. However, she decided to decline very pointedly in a letter to Mrs. B. Here's a piece of it and you can read the entire letter here in The Nation.

"So the prospect of a festival of books seemed wonderful to me. I thought of the opportunity to talk about how to start up an outreach program. I thought of the chance to sell some books, sign some books and meet some of the citizens of Washington, DC. I thought that I could try to find a way, even as your guest, with respect, to speak about my deep feeling that we should not have invaded Iraq, and to declare my belief that the wish to invade another culture and another country--with the resultant loss of life and limb for our brave soldiers, and for the noncombatants in their home terrain--did not come out of our democracy but was instead a decision made "at the top" and forced on the people by distorted language, and by untruths. I hoped to express the fear that we have begun to live in the shadows of tyranny and religious chauvinism--the opposites of the liberty, tolerance and diversity our nation aspires to."

Speaking of Crooks and Liars...

There are any number of blogs one can read to get the rant of the day, or personal points of view on anything and everything. However, there's a blog that I check out every day, called Crooks and Liars. The specialty of this blog is video clips.

For today's viewing pleasure: Tucker Carlson v. Bill Maher, which is a no contest. While it's not as combustible as Tucker getting eaten alive by Jon Stewart on Crossfire, it's pretty darn tasty. (Be sure to stick around to the very end to hear Bill's take on Bill Clinton vs. the Chimp.)

Another Media Hero - Jack Cafferty, CNN

A few days ago, Chris Matthews said that he didn't think Americans cared much about whether there was an independent commission to review the response to Hurricane Katrina. I remember thinking to myself, "why the hell do I care so much and no one else does?" Well, I'm not alone as a new CNN poll says that fully 81% of Americans would like an independent commission. Well, duh!

If you think I'm indignant, check out the video of Jack Cafferty on CNN via Crooks and Liars. It's a complete hoot!

Progressive Politics Plus Religion

The folks who bring us dailykos.com, have spawned a brand new bouncing baby blog, called "Street Prophets." The idea is to give progressives a place to discuss religion, of all things. One of the main writers goes by the nom de blog of PastorDan, and luckily for us, he's not your average man of the cloth. He's irreverent, actually uses language that we all use, and from the posts I've read on dailykos, he brings a unique perspective. Check it out.

Cynicism At Its Finest

This WaPo columnist is all over the Chimp's totally political reaction to Katrina:

"It's hard to say what's worse: The incompetence of the administration's initial hurricane response or the cowardice of its follow-up. Faced with a small hit to his ratings, the president who once boasted of ignoring polls is rushing to spend billions of other people's dollars on saving his political skin. His philosophy is, "It's going to cost whatever it costs." That phrase should be the title of some future history of the Bush era.

The worst part is, President Bush doesn't even think his splurge will be effective. If he really believed that government could overcome racial inequality by targeting subsidies at minority businesses, he should have rolled out a national program long ago. But he doesn't believe anything of the kind. His promises of racial healing are entirely cynical."

Remember Kerry-Edwards? I Do

Here is our proud Democratic ticket, beating on the Chimp while he's down. Why weren't they this lucid last September, eh?

Here's Kerry's best line:

"Brownie is to Katrina what Paul Bremer is to peace in Iraq, what George Tenet is to slam-dunk intelligence, what Paul Wolfowitz is to parades paved with flowers in Baghdad, what Dick Cheney is to visionary energy policy, what Donald Rumsfeld is to basic war planning, what Tom DeLay is to ethics and what George Bush is to 'Mission Accomplished' and 'Wanted Dead or Alive.'"

And Edwards's best:

"I might have missed something, but I don't think the president ever talked about putting a cap on the salaries of the CEOs of Halliburton and the other companies . . . who are getting all these contracts. This president, who never met an earmark he wouldn't approve or a millionaire's tax cut he wouldn't promote, decided to slash wages for the least of us and the most vulnerable."

Humpty Dumpty Had a Great Fall...

*Well, I guess it's not going to be so hard to get Maureen Dowd's column for free after all. The link below is from the Dallas/Ft. Worth paper, which does require registration (for free)*

Here's a beaut of a paragraph from today's column:

"All Andrew Jackson's horses, and all the Boy King's men could not put Humpty Dumpty together again. His gladiatorial walk across the darkened greensward, past a St. Louis Cathedral bathed in moon glow from White House klieg lights, just seemed to intensify the sense of an isolated, out-of-touch president clinging to hollow symbols as his disastrous disaster agency continues to flail."

Steppin' In It

Halliburton Gets Contract To Pry Gold Fillings From New Orleans Corpses' Teeth

(Via TBogg, from The Onion)

"HOUSTON—On Tuesday, Halliburton received a $110 million no-bid government contract to pry the gold fillings from the mouths of deceased disaster victims in the New Orleans-Gulf Coast area. "We are proud to serve the government in this time of crisis by recovering valuable resources from the wreckage of this deadly storm," said David J. Lesar, Halliburton's president. "The gold we recover from the human rubble of Katrina can be used to make fighter-jet electronics, supercomputer chips, inflation-proof A-grade investments, and luxury yachting watches."

It's so sad how true this sounds.

Bush CARES about Black People

Frank Rich today:

"ONCE Toto parts the curtain, the Wizard of Oz can never be the wizard again. He is forever Professor Marvel, blowhard and snake-oil salesman. Hurricane Katrina, which is likely to endure in the American psyche as long as L. Frank Baum's mythic tornado, has similarly unmasked George W. Bush.
The worst storm in our history proved perfect for exposing this president because in one big blast it illuminated all his failings: the rampant cronyism, the empty sloganeering of "compassionate conservatism," the lack of concern for the "underprivileged" his mother condescended to at the Astrodome, the reckless lack of planning for all government operations except tax cuts, the use of spin and photo-ops to camouflage failure and to substitute for action.

In the chaos unleashed by Katrina, these plot strands coalesced into a single tragic epic played out in real time on television. The narrative is just too powerful to be undone now by the administration's desperate recycling of its greatest hits: a return Sunshine Boys tour by the surrogate empathizers Clinton and Bush I, another round of prayers at the Washington National Cathedral, another ludicrously overhyped prime-time address flecked with speechwriters' "poetry" and framed by a picturesque backdrop. Reruns never eclipse a riveting new show."

Another New Rule

To all the Talking Heads: No matter how tempting it may be, resist calling the diversity of New Orleans' culture, language, music, ethnicity, neighborhood ...or anything else...a GUMBO! That tired cliche was worn out days ago.

Thank you.

Let's Go, RED SOX

Letting the MFY's get this close is just plain MEAN.

Two Fun Pics for Tonight's Speech

Watching that Idiot President has its rewards. A couple of images from the open thread at dkos.com:

Maureen Dowd: Free for Now

If you haven't heard, the New York Times will soon begin to charge for access to their columnists. To mark the occasion, we feature today's Maureen Dowd column - another zinger for the Chimp.

I would give a lot to be able to write like this woman, by the way.

Here's a bit:

"The aides were scared to tell the isolated president that he should cut short his vacation by a couple of days, Newsweek said, because he can be "cold and snappish in private." Mike Allen wrote in Time about one "youngish aide" who was so terrified about telling Mr. Bush he was wrong about something during the first term, he "had dry heaves" afterward.

The president had to be truly zoned out not to jump at the word "hurricane," given that he has always used his father's term as a reverse playbook and his father almost lost Florida in 1992 because of his slow-footed response to Hurricane Andrew. And W.'s chief of staff, Andy Card, was the White House transportation secretary the senior President Bush sent to the rescue after FEMA bungled that one.

W. has said he prefers to get his information straight up from aides, rather than filtered through newspapers or newscasts. But he surrounds himself with weak sisters who don't have the nerve to break bad news to him, or ideologues with agendas that require warping reality or chuckleheaded cronies like Brownie.

The president should stop haunting New Orleans, looking for that bullhorn moment. It's too late."

No Independent Katrina Commission (Yet)

Dopes.

"WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans on Wednesday scuttled an attempt by Sen. Hillary Clinton to establish an independent, bipartisan panel patterned after the 9/11 Commission to investigate what went wrong with federal, state and local governments' response to Hurricane Katrina."

New Rule

From Bill Maher (one of the FAVORITES at our house);

..."New Rule: America must recall the president. That's what this country needs. A good, old-fashioned, California-style recall election! Complete with Gary Coleman, porno actresses and action film stars. And just like Schwarzenegger's predecessor here in California, George Bush is now so unpopular, he must defend his jog against...Russell Crowe. Because at this point, I want a leader who will throw a phone at somebody. In fact, let's have only phone throwers. Naomi Campbell can be the vice-president!

Now, I kid, but seriously, Mr. President, this job can't be fun for you anymore. There's no more money to spend. You used up all of that. You can't start another war because you also used up the army. And now, darn the luck, the rest of your term has become the Bush family nightmare: helping poor people.

Yeah, listen to your mom. The cupboard's bare, the credit card's maxed out, and no one is speaking to you: mission accomplished! Now it's time to do what you've always done best: lose interest and walk away. Like you did with your military service. And the oil company. And the baseball team. It's time. Time to move on and try the next fantasy job. How about cowboy or spaceman?!

Now, I know what you're saying. You're saying that there's so many other things that you, as president, could involve yourself in...Please don't. I know, I know, there's a lot left to do. There's a war with Venezuela, and eliminating the sales tax on yachts. Turning the space program over to the church. And Social Security to Fannie Mae. Giving embryos the vote. But, sir, none of that is going to happen now. Why? Because you govern like Billy Joel drives. You've performed so poorly I'm surprised you haven't given yourself a medal. You're a catastrophe that walks like a man.

Herbert Hoover was a shitty president, but even he never conceded an entire metropolis to rising water and snakes.

On your watch, we've lost almost all of our allies, the surplus, four airliners, two Trade Centers, a piece of the Pentagon and the City of New Orleans...Maybe you're just not lucky!

I'm not saying you don't love this country. I'm just wondering how much worse it could be if you were on the other side. So, yes, God does speak to you, and what he's saying is, "Take a hint."

The Bush Era Is Over

There's so much being said about the Bush administration problems, and of course regarding the hurricane situation, that I find it hard to say anything new. So I continue to link to others who have very interesting things to say - and say it better than I ever could. Today, here's one from EJ Dionne (Washington Post) that is just incredible.

"The Bush Era is over. The sooner politicians in both parties realize that, the better for them -- and the country.

Recent months, and especially the past two weeks, have brought home to a steadily growing majority of Americans the truth that President Bush's government doesn't work. His policies are failing, his approach to leadership is detached and self-indulgent, his way of politics has produced a divided, angry and dysfunctional public square. We dare not go on like this.

The Bush Era did not begin when he took office, or even with the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. It began on Sept. 14, 2001, when Bush declared at the World Trade Center site: "I can hear you. The rest of the world hears you. And the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon." Bush was, indeed, skilled in identifying enemies and rallying a nation already disposed to action. He failed to realize after Sept. 11 that it was not we who were lucky to have him as a leader, but he who was lucky to be president of a great country that understood the importance of standing together in the face of a grave foreign threat. Very nearly all of us rallied behind him."

Gotta read the whole thing.

Today's Boondocks...

Charmaine Neville's Story

Just when you think that things are improving in New Orleans and there are rays of hope (and there actually are), you come across stories like Charmaine Neville's (yes, of the famous NOLA clan).

Here's a bit:

"Barely surviving the storm, she found shelter at the school across the street from her home. In a flat-bottom boat she helped rescue nearby residents, including stranded policemen. With a crowbar, she smashed a hole in the roof so people could climb to safety. For the next day or two, she waded back and forth in waist-deep water to bring food and drinking water to the growing number of people in the school, but conditions worsened and desperation grew by the hour.

Neville and others tried to get the attention of helicopters from the school's roof. Time after time they signaled for helicopters to help them but there weren’t nearly enough in the air. And they dropped no food or water, either. "We couldn't understand why they couldn’t help us,” she says on the video. The National Guard, she recalls bitterly, was absent."

The Emperor Truly Has No Clothes

This from Newsweek:

"Sept. 19, 2005 issue - It's a standing joke among the president's top aides: who gets to deliver the bad news? Warm and hearty in public, Bush can be cold and snappish in private, and aides sometimes cringe before the displeasure of the president of the United States, or, as he is known in West Wing jargon, POTUS. The bad news on this early morning, Tuesday, Aug. 30, some 24 hours after Hurricane Katrina had ripped through New Orleans, was that the president would have to cut short his five-week vacation by a couple of days and return to Washington. The president's chief of staff, Andrew Card; his deputy chief of staff, Joe Hagin; his counselor, Dan Bartlett, and his spokesman, Scott McClellan, held a conference call to discuss the question of the president's early return and the delicate task of telling him. Hagin, it was decided, as senior aide on the ground, would do the deed."

and it continues:

"The reality, say several aides who did not wish to be quoted because it might displease the president, did not really sink in until Thursday night. Some White House staffers were watching the evening news and thought the president needed to see the horrific reports coming out of New Orleans. Counselor Bartlett made up a DVD of the newscasts so Bush could see them in their entirety as he flew down to the Gulf Coast the next morning on Air Force One.

How this could be—how the president of the United States could have even less "situational awareness," as they say in the military, than the average American about the worst natural disaster in a century—is one of the more perplexing and troubling chapters in a story that, despite moments of heroism and acts of great generosity, ranks as a national disgrace."

Chimp Approval at 38%

It's amazing how many people one has to kill before the country wakes up. But waking up is exactly what our fellow country-people are doing.

Newsweek: "President Bush could become Katrina’s next casualty."

When God Made Neil

Neil Young, another treasure of a human being, just sang this song on the "Shelter From the Storm" hurricane relief telethon tonight. Amazing!

WHEN GOD MADE ME

When God made me
Was he thinking about my country,
or the colour of my skin?
Was he thinking about my religion,
and the way I worshipped him?
Did he create just me in his image,
or every living thing?

When God made me.
When God made me.

Was he planning only for believers,
or for those who just had faith?
Did he envision all wars
that were fought in his name?
Did he say there was only one way
to be close to him?

When God made me.
When God made me.

Did he give me the gift of love
to say who I could choose?

When God made me.
When God made me.
When God made me.

Did he give me the gift of voice
so some could silence me?
Did he give me the gift of vision
not knowing what I might see?
Did he give me the gift of compassion
to help my fellow man?

When God made me.
When God made me.
When God made me

Sure Wish I Had Been There

A bystander in Mississippi (of all places) told Dick to go fuck himself today. Here's the video, from Crooks and Liars.

From Daily Kos's Hunter today. He says "Enough. It's Over"...from his keyboard to God's ear. You must read the whole post, but here's a key passage:

"When Joe Scarborough and ultraconservative Family Research Council head Tony Perkins are on television discussing the government's failed response to the Katrina disaster...when Tucker Carlson is wading through storm waters with a dazed expression but an odd, new fire in his eyes...when Michelle Malkin takes time out from thoroughly out-frothing has-been Ann Coulter in order to call for FEMA head Michael Brown to be fired... I'm sorry, but the administration spin is spun. It's over. I'm not saying well-funded hacks won't be back with another angle tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day, but when even partisans like that are calling you out, your spin isn't so much "tough" as just pathetic and an embarrassment to your country. For once in Bush's sheltered, spoonfed existence, he needs to put Karl Rove and the political machine of his government in a corner for a few days, and get around to doing some actual governing."

Read the rest, it's worth it.

If You Look Long Enough...

...you'll see why this is posted.









Did you see it? They're obviously more honest overseas. This is from Ireland, by the way. (Courtesy Daily Kos)

The Corpse On Union Street

From today's New York Times:

"NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 7 - In the downtown business district here, on a dry stretch of Union Street, past the Omni Bank automated teller machine, across from a parking garage offering "early bird" rates: a corpse. Its feet jut from a damp blue tarp. Its knees rise in rigor mortis.

The sight of corpses has become almost common on the mostly abandoned streets of New Orleans, as rescue and evacuation operations have taken priority over removing the dead. Six National Guardsmen walked up to it on Tuesday afternoon and two blessed themselves with the sign of the cross. One soldier took a parting snapshot like some visiting conventioneer, and they walked away. New Orleans, September 2005."

Well written (By Dan Barry) and dreadful, all at once. You should read the entire story.

Keith Rides Again

You can see some of the key statements of the Administration during the lead-up and immediate aftermath of the Hurricane Katrina, using Keith Olbermann's video timeline. (Courtesy Crooks and Liars)

C'mon, Keith! Keep it up - the country needs you.

Hurricane Editorial Cartoon: Flash Animated

Check this out. (courtesy Daily Kos)

Wanna Hear A Joke?

This is probably going to become a VERY popular link.

Lest We Forget

Here's the damning report of the Administration's cluelessness in dealing with Katrina. Now that the evacuees have moved to better shelter, the finger-pointing and blame-gaming (to quote Scottie McStupid) can really begin. Let's not just go back to our lives as if nothing has changed. Folks, there is a change 20,000 people could be dead. How's that sound?

And from the Senate Democrats...the Security Index. Here's a sampling of how safe we are and how we are being 'protected' from a forthcoming potential security problem:

Homeland Security

Factor by which passengers on mass transit systems exceed passengers on airlines: 16

Funding per passenger the Bush Administration has spent to secure mass transit systems since September 11, 2001: $0.01

Cost of security upgrades needed to protect rail and transit systems as estimated by U.S. transit authorities: $6 billion

Amount of funding designated specifically for rail and transit security in President Bush's budget: $0

Total amount of funding added to the Fiscal Year 2006 Homeland Security Appropriations bill for rail security in the wake of the July 7 London Bombings: $0

Number of provisions in federal law requiring chemical facilities to establish safeguards against a terrorist attack: 0

Number of chemical facilities at which a terrorist strike could threaten the lives of over 1 million people: 123

Percent of cargo arriving at U.S. ports inspected for WMD: <1

Percent of "high-risk" cargo inspected: 17.5

Estimated economic impact of a terrorist attack to a U.S. port: $1 trillion

Percent of Transportation Security Administration Fiscal Year 2005 budget allocated for port security grants: 2.8

Deadline for meeting port security standards set by the Maritime Transportation Security Act: 2004

Year in which MTSA port security standards will be met if port security funding levels remain constant: 2050

Ratio of federal air security screeners to federal surface transportation (rail and public transit) security screeners: 450:1

Arrested Development

Here's another indictment of the Chimp who would be President...who has NEVER grown up. (This is from a newly discovered site that I'm growing to like.)

Broussard in 2008

Here's a man who speaks some sense. Think he's interested in expanding his administration to Washington? Thanks to Billmon's Whiskey Bar.

Kanye West Was Wrong

I learned today that the Chimp actually does care about black people. (turn your sound on)

Trying to Stem Another Tide

The Washington Post speculates on the damage control going on at the White House. I would be ecstatic, if it wasn't so damn sad.

"WASHINGTON -- The Bush White House is known for its ability to remain in control of its message and image, sliding out of crises with barely a scratch. Not this time.

Despite day after day of appearances by President Bush aimed at undoing the political damage from a poor response to Hurricane Katrina, the White House has not been able to regain its footing, already shaken by the war in Iraq and a death toll exceeding 1,880."

Howard Dean's Statement Re Katrina

"Based on today’s reports, it seems clear that President Bush’s visit today is just another callous political move crafted by Karl Rove. It’s just appalling to see how quickly President Bush and Karl Rove have mobilized a political strategy in their own defense, but simply failed to mobilize a swift response to either keep the people in the Gulf Coast region safe in the first place or aid the victims in the aftermath of the storm.

"Thousands of people have lost their lives. Our nation faces difficult times as we address the painful aftermath of Katrina, yet President Bush is worried about shifting blame and passing the buck? Shouldn’t he be worried about restoring stability, plans to evacuate survivors, and ensuring that our communities have the resources they need to help the victims of this tragedy rebuild their lives? Now is a time for leadership not partisanship. This is one failure we will not allow Rove and the GOP attack machine to spin away with their usual barrage of photo-ops, misinformation, smear campaigns and press conferences."

The rest of the story.

Scottie Gets Attacked

It appears that the White House press corps is getting a backbone. From today's Press Secretary meeting with reporters:

"Q Well, let's talk about it. Are you saying the President is -- are you saying that the President is confident that his administration is prepared to adequately, confidently secure the American people in the event of a terrorist attack of a level that we have not seen? And based on what does he have that confidence?

MR. McCLELLAN: Yes, and that's what he made clear earlier today, that obviously we want to look and learn lessons from a major catastrophe of this nature.

Q Yes, but you're telling us today there will be time for that somewhere down the road. Well, what if it happens tomorrow?

MR. McCLELLAN: We can engage in this blame-gaming going on and I think that's what you're getting --

Q No, no. That's a talking point, Scott, and I think most people who are watching this --

MR. McCLELLAN: No, that's a fact. I mean, some are wanting to engage in that, and we're going to remain focused --

Q I'm asking a direct question. Is he confident --

MR. McCLELLAN: We're going to remain focused on the people.

Q -- that he can secure the American people in the event of a major terrorist attack?

MR. McCLELLAN: We are securing the American people by staying on the offensive abroad and working to spread freedom and democracy in the Middle East.

Q That's a talking point. That's a talking point.

MR. McCLELLAN: No, that's a fact.

Go ahead.

Q No, it's not."

Barbara Bush Just Sucks

According to The Nation:

"Finally, we have discovered the roots of George W. Bush's "compassionate conservatism."

On the heels of the president's "What, me worry?" response to the death, destruction and dislocation that followed upon Hurricane Katrina comes the news of his mother's Labor Day visit with hurricane evacuees at the Astrodome in Houston.

Commenting on the facilities that have been set up for the evacuees -- cots crammed side-by-side in a huge stadium where the lights never go out and the sound of sobbing children never completely ceases -- former First Lady Barbara Bush concluded that the poor people of New Orleans had lucked out."

Read the rest, if you dare.

Olbermann Rocks! Again

Check out Keith's response to Katrina and the incompetence that is our government.

Here it is...

Blessed Are The Children

You must read this story about some lost children, and how they were finally found:

From the LA Times:

"BATON ROUGE, La. — In the chaos that was Causeway Boulevard, this group of refugees stood out: a 6-year-old boy walking down the road, holding a 5-month-old, surrounded by five toddlers who followed him around as if he were their leader.

They were holding hands. Three of the children were about 2 years old, and one was wearing only diapers. A 3-year-old girl, who wore colorful barrettes on the ends of her braids, had her 14-month-old brother in tow. The 6-year-old spoke for all of them, and he told rescuers his name was Deamonte Love."

and it continues:

"At the rescue headquarters, a cool tile-floored building swarming with firefighters and paramedics, the children ate cafeteria food and fell into a deep sleep. Deamonte volunteered his vital statistics. He said his father was tall and his mother was short. He gave his address, his phone number and the name of his elementary school.

He said that the 5-month-old was his brother, Darynael, and that two others were his cousins, Tyreek and Zoria. The other three lived in his apartment building.

The children were clean and healthy — downright plump in the case of the infant, said Joyce Miller, a nurse who examined them. It was clear, she said, that "time had been taken with those kids." The baby was "fat and happy."

Well, this now makes two stories about the Hurricane in which I have quoted scripture. Maybe it is a life-changing experience?

We'll see.

Political Fallout

It's good to know that grief over the Hurricane Katrina catastrophe has not stopped the Chimp's team from managing the politics. But, of course, this isn't about politics, now is it?

Love Note to New Orleans

By Andrei Codrescu
www.codrescu.com
www.corpse.org

It’s heart-breaking watching my beautiful city sink, but I’m at a safe distance 90 miles away and my heartbreak is nothing compared to the suffering of people still in the city. New Orleans will be rebuilt, but it will never again be the city I knew and loved. I often compared it to Venice because of its beauty and tenuousness, its love of music, art, and carnival. The problem of engineering the survival of Venice has preoccupied the world for centuries, but very little thought has gone into saving New Orleans in the same way. New Orleans was, and it may be yet, a thriving commercial city crucial to controlling the mouth of the Mississippi River, vital to American industry and access to the Gulf of Mexico. Jean de Bienville founded the city here in 1718, ignoring his engineers’ warning about settling a patch of swampland between the Mississippi River, the Gulf of Mexico and a massive lake to the North. The needs of the American republic continued to compound Bienville’s original sin, requiring more and more engineering to correct nature at one of its grandest meeting points. The wetlands that once served to tame the savagery of the winds are gone, victims of big oil and global warming. The seas are hotter, people, and this is the result! Pay attention, global-warming deniers, this is the real thing! The saving grace of New Orleans was its music, its food, its festivals and its poor. This was the most brutal slave market in America and the northernemost point of the Caribbean trade in guns, rum, and human beings. The slaves and subsequent refugees, immigrants, pirates, and quick-buck artists brought culture with them from Africa and places they ran from. New Orleans music traveled upriver and became America’s music. We’ve been a generator of human and cultural energy for centuries, but all this bounty brought the city no careful engineering, no thought for its future, no world-wide cry of help for its inevitable demise. The Army Corps of Engineers saved the city heroically at least once during the floods of 1927, but it was then as now a response to crisis, no forethought, no concern for the future. So here we are, sinking into the water around us, drowning in our own waste, poverty, incompetence, and the greed of those who came before us. This is the time for straight reporting, of heartbreaking stories, of heroic rescues and superhuman efforts by good-hearted individuals and the weary but always-ready charities. It’s not a time for anger, but I can’t help wondering: what is going to survive of our culture? We already know who’s going to pay for all this: the poor. They always do. The whole country’s garbage flows down the Mississippi to them. Until now, they turned all that waste into song, they took the sins of America unto themselves. But this blues now is just too big.

My Pet Goat, The Sequel

From Editor and Publisher:

"This time, during a catastrophe, the president did not merely dither for seven minutes, but for three days, and his top advisors followed suit. While the media has done a good job in portraying the overall failure of leadership in this weeks hurricane's disaster, it has not focused enough on this deadly dereliction of duty."

Rehnquist

Hey, stop me if you've heard this one already...

People tell me Chief Justice Rehnquist has been dead for 4 days, but FEMA just found him.

*The man hasn't been gone for 24 hours and the jokes begin. I guess the country will survive.*

We Told You So

For all the conservative pundits and true believers out there (and for anyone who is beyond angry at the aftermath of Katrina), I give you this incredible rant.

Read it if you dare, here's an excerpt:

"You say this isn't about politics? Fuck you, this IS politics, real time, real life politics, where the insanity of all your ideas are exposed to the world for the fraud that they are. Tax cuts kill. Ask the relatives of the dead of the Gulf Coast.

Well, motherfuckers, the alligators are feasting on dead nigger and there isn't an Iraqi in sight. And Bush is trying to gladhand his way through a mess which has stunned FOX reporters. I mean, Shepard Smith is calling Fox's talking heads liars ON THE AIR.

CNN rips Bush in print and online after nearly five years of sleep.

Instead of hearing what we had to say about Bush, you called John Kerry a coward, mocked Max Cleland, blamed everything but herpes on Bill Clinton. You enabled Bush into this mess and now you're shocked?

Now, Fox can be outraged, now, Wash Times and Union Leader call Bush weak? Well, his coward ass disappeared in 2001. But you rather blame Michael Moore for that.

He can't even explain the Iraq war to a grieving mother.

So what did you do?

Write the most vile things about her and her dead son. Attacked her patriotism and her honesty."

There's more on this sad story at the link.

The Failure of Supply Side Economics

All week, as we watch the economics of Hurricane Katrina's aftermath, I keep harkening back to the GOP's philosophy that we have small government and that each of us is "on our own" when it comes to taking care of our civic, educational, social and economic life.

This article from MyDD.com does a much better job than I ever could of explaining why Supply Side Economics (the ol' trickle down theory) has failed us all, but especially those on the lowest economic rungs of our society. Here's a quote:

"And as Kos has pointed out repeatedly, the supply-siders' agenda has been to shrink the size of government until "we can be drown it in the bathtub". We're seeing the true cost of these policies in New Orleans right now. Spending on priorities like fixing the city's levees was ignored while supply-side tax cuts were pushed to the fore. From large scale economic data to the horrific impact of federal budget cuts on one city, these are the costs of supply-side economics writ large."

This article in today's New York Times also provides a good status report on the effects of Supply Side economics. Here's another quote:

"For liberal economists, the data prove that supply-side economics has failed to deliver under Mr. Bush, just as it did when President Ronald Reagan applied it in the 1980's. Rising corporate profits and dividend payments clearly haven't trickled down into gains for people who don't own companies or stock, says Dean Baker, co-director at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, in Washington. "The wage gains," Mr. Baker said, "are concentrated in the upper-income level, just as they were in the 1980's."

A good question to me is: what will the Democrats do in response to the Hurricane's aftermath? Not that everything is political, but it appears that there is a vacuum of leadership that the Democrats should take advantage of, especially while these images are fresh in our minds. (Cue Senator Edwards!) If they don't, then they have no value whatsoever to anyone.

Hillary Slams Oil Companies

Go get 'em, Hillary! While we're all somewhat distracted with the news from the Gulf, gas prices continue to rise, and there's a good chance the oil companies will continue to record profits (*sarcasm*). Hillary's got the story right...here.

I paid $3.31/gallon yesterday...how 'bout you?

Two Americas ... Again

Throughout the 2004 campaign I maintained that John Edwards's "Two Americas" stump speech resonated more than nearly anything I heard from anyone else (including, at the time, Howard Dean's anti-war rhetoric). In the aftermath of the craziness on the Gulf Coast, John continues to talk about it (his email to supporters is below). I would say that everything he says here beats all of the politicians who have appeared on camera during the past several days.

If there was any doubt about it, we are clearly seeing the Two Americas writ large this week. I agree with John that most Americas are surprised to see the desperation and poverty inside America. In my daily life I experience this disconnect all the time. I work in a large American city for a large company. Many of the people I see every day of the week are millionaires whose biggest worry is whether to buy the Volvo, the BMW or the Lexus. Another large decision is what high falutin' college to send their children to, or on which Carribbean island they will spend their winter vacation. Often, these people are heard complaining about how high their taxes are.

Will they realize this week how ridiculous they sound? My hope is that we've reached a tipping point, when people begin to see that we are judged by how we treat the LEAST of us. Anywone who knows me, knows I am not a religious person, but I heard a black congressman quote scripture yesterday, and I want to repeat it here (this is from Matthew 25, verse 35-40):

"'For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.' Then the righteous will answer him, "Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?' And the king will answer them, "Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me."

I include John Edwards's email message in its entirety because I think it's vital that we all connect to it. Your comments are welcome and appreciated.

Dear *Beckperson*,

During the campaign of 2004, I spoke often of the two Americas: the America of the privileged and the wealthy, and the America of those who lived from paycheck to paycheck. I spoke of the difference in the schools, the difference in the loan rates, the difference in opportunity. All of that pales today. Today - and for many days and weeks and months to follow - we see a harsher example of two Americas. We see the poor and working class of New Orleans who don't own a car and couldn't evacuate to hotels or families far from the target of Katrina. We see the suffering of families who lived from paycheck to paycheck and who followed the advice of officials and went to shelters at the Civic Center or the Superdome or stayed home to protect their possessions.

Now every single resident of New Orleans, regardless of their wealth or status, will have terrible losses and life-altering experiences. Every single resident will know and care about someone who was lost to this hurricane. But some, ranging from the very poorest to the working class unable to accumulate a cushion of assets to rely upon on a very, very rainy day, will suffer the most because they simply didn't have the means to evacuate. They suffered the most from Katrina because they always suffer the most.

These are Americans some of whom who left everything they possessed behind in order to save those they loved. These are Americans huddled with their children or pushing a wheelchair between rows of those too beaten or weak to stand. In this moment, we have to remember they are part of us, Americans who love their country and are part of our national community. In this moment, it is hard because our hair is clean and our clothes are washed and our eyes are not glazed with hopelessness. But these are our brothers and sisters, and we have to remember this not just for them, but for us. We must finally recognize that when any of us suffer, we are all weaker; it affects us all.

Commentators on television have expressed surprise, saying they think that most people didn't know there was such poverty in America. Thirty-seven million Americans live in poverty, most of them are the working poor, but it is clear that they have been invisible. But if these commentators are right, this tragedy can have a great influence, if we listen to its message.

The people most devastated have always lived on a razor blade, afraid of any setback, any illness, any job loss that could disrupt the fragile balance they achieved paycheck to paycheck. They didn't leave New Orleans because they couldn't leave. Some didn't leave their homes because they wanted to protect the hard-won possessions that made their lives a little easier.

The government released new poverty statistics this week. The number of Americans living in poverty rose again last year. Thirteen million children -- nearly one in every five -- lives in poverty. Close to 25 percent of all African Americans live in poverty. Twenty-three percent of the population in New Orleans lives in poverty. Those are chilling numbers. Because of Katrina, we have now seen many of the faces behind those numbers.

Poverty exists everywhere in America. It is in Detroit and El Paso. It is in Omaha, Nebraska and Stockton, California. It is in rural towns like Chillicothe, Ohio and Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Nearly half of the children in Detroit, Atlanta and Long Beach, California live in poverty. It doesn't have to be this way. We can begin embracing policies that offer opportunity, reward responsibility, and assume the dignity of each American.

There are immediate needs in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, and the first priority is meeting those, but after that, we need to think about the American community, about the one America we think we are, the one we talk about. We need people to feel more than sympathy with the victims, we need them to feel empathy with our national community that includes the poor. We have missed opportunities to make certain that all Americans would be more than huddled masses. We have been too slow to act in the face in the misery of our brothers and sisters. This is an ugly and horrifying wake-up call to America. Let us pray we answer this call. Now is the time to act.

- John

Thanks, John and Elizabeth Edwards. I only hope the two of you are able someday to be in positions of power. We need people like you in this country today.

In actuality, if we had to go through this Hurricane at all, I wish to God it had been last summer, when voters may have realized the inhumanity of the Chimp and his cohorts. By the way, we're hearing from the VP candidate who lost. Where the hell is Cheney? Hmmm?

The fallout continues and it will be interesting to see whether Americans actually demand some accountability - at long last.